Canada
Hollywood North: PlayNow.com Bettors Backing Brendan Fraser to Win Best Actor at the Oscars
Fraser the betting favourite to become first Canadian to win Best Actor award
Canadians dominated the nominations at the 95th Academy Awards and British Columbians are heading to PlayNow.com to place their bets – most notably on Brendan Fraser to become the first Canadian to claim the Best Actor award during this Sunday’s ceremony.
Fraser (1.60) – who was born in the United States to Canadian parents and grew up in Canada – is the betting favourite on PlayNow.com to win Best Actor, taking 38 per cent of the bets for his captivating performance in The Whale.
Fraser’s competition is stiff and includes Austin Butler (2.20) for his Golden Globe-winning performance in Elvis, and Colin Farrell (13.00) who received his first Oscar nomination for his role in The Banshees of Inisherin.
After three Vancouverites came home with Oscars in 2022, one more could be added to B.C.’s cabinet as Bryan Litson and his team are up for Best Visual Effects for their work on Top Gun: Maverick (13.00), taking 71 per cent of bets placed in this category.
Two Canadian directors from Ontario are also going head-to-head in the Best Animated Feature Film category. Domee Shi, a previous Oscar winner for her 2018 short-animated film Bao, is up for a film created to show the world what being Canadian means to her — Turning Red (19.00), and Chris Williams is up for his film The Sea Beast (23.00). He previously won in this category eight years ago with his 2015 movie Big Hero 6.
Toronto-born writer-director Sarah Polley is also making her mark this year with two nominations for her film, Women Talking (1.40), and currently takes 29 per cent of the bets placed in the Best Adapted Screenplay category. However, All Quiet on the Western Front (2.75) will be a tough one to beat, with nine total nominations this year and 50 per cent of bets.
Did you know? PlayNow.com is the only 100% legal online gambling website permitted in B.C., and the only one whose profits go back to the province to support healthcare, education and community programs.
Players can set weekly deposit and playing time limits to keep their play a fun experience, and connect with dedicated player-health specialists known as GameSense Advisors who can help answer gambling-related questions and provide additional supports, if needed.
*Odds listed are correct at time of posting but are subject to change at any time.
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AGCO
ThrillTech secures AGCO supplier licence for Ontario launch
ThrillTech has been awarded a Gaming-Related Supplier licence by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), clearing the company to launch in Ontario’s regulated market.
The licence allows ThrillTech to deploy its opt-in side bet jackpots technology with regulated online casino, sports betting and lottery operators across the province.
Benjamin Bradtke, Co-Founder of ThrillTech, said: “Securing our AGCO licence is a major step in our mission to transform how jackpots are delivered at scale across regulated markets. This latest certification is testament to our robust technology and trusted compliance frameworks, allowing us to continue our global growth trajectory. We are thrilled to bring our proven, compliant jackpot technology to Ontario, empowering locally licensed operators to uplift revenue without cannibalising existing spend.”
The company said its “ThrillPots” mechanics sit as an independent, player-funded side bet and do not alter the underlying game’s return-to-player mathematics.
ThrillTech said the Ontario approval enables its existing multinational partners that also operate in the province to launch its side bet jackpots locally, while it also holds talks with potential new operator partners. The company lists its regulated footprint as including the United Kingdom, Sweden, the Netherlands, Romania, Malta, Gibraltar, Brazil and Peru.
The post ThrillTech secures AGCO supplier licence for Ontario launch appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
AGCO
ThrillTech wins AGCO supplier licence to enter Ontario market
ThrillTech said it has been awarded a Gaming-Related Supplier licence by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), clearing the company to offer its side-bet jackpot technology to regulated online casino, sports betting, and lottery operators in Ontario.
Benjamin Bradtke, Co-Founder of ThrillTech, said: “Securing our AGCO licence is a major step in our mission to transform how jackpots are delivered at scale across regulated markets. This latest certification is testament to our robust technology and trusted compliance frameworks, allowing us to continue our global growth trajectory. We are thrilled to bring our proven, compliant jackpot technology to Ontario, empowering locally licensed operators to uplift revenue without cannibalising existing spend.”
The company said its ThrillPots product lets operators add player-funded, opt-in side-bet jackpots on top of existing games, without changing gameplay or the underlying return-to-player (RTP) calculations. ThrillTech positions the mechanic as a way to drive incremental engagement and revenue.
ThrillTech said the Ontario licence enables existing multinational partners that also operate in the province to roll out ThrillTech-powered jackpots locally, and added it is in discussions with potential new operator partners. The company listed other regulated jurisdictions it serves as the United Kingdom, Sweden, the Netherlands, Romania, Malta, Gibraltar, Brazil, and Peru.
The post ThrillTech wins AGCO supplier licence to enter Ontario market appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
AGLC
St8 Secures Alberta Licence, Strengthening North American Expansion
Casino games aggregator and full-service technology provider St8 has secured its registration to operate in Alberta as an iGaming Services Supplier, marking another significant milestone in the company’s strategy to expand across North America’s regulated iGaming markets.
St8 was among the first suppliers to secure a conditional approval granted by the AGLC, underlining the company’s readiness to support operators as the province prepares to open its regulated iGaming market.
Alberta represents a key market in St8’s North American growth strategy and follows the company’s expansion into Ontario earlier this year. With its latest approval, St8 is now regulated in some of the industry’s most sought-after jurisdictions, including Sweden, the UK, Romania, and Ontario, among others.
The Alberta approval enables St8 to provide its next-generation game aggregation services to licensed operators in Alberta, giving partners access to more than 200 premium game providers through a single API integration, alongside bonus and promotional tools, advanced reporting, compliance capabilities, and a suite of operational features designed to simplify casino management.
Purpose-built with modern infrastructure and regulatory flexibility at its core, the St8 software enables operators to launch premium casino content quickly, while also reducing the operational complexity typically associated with multi-provider integrations and expansion into new markets.
This registration builds on St8’s growing presence in regulated jurisdictions and reinforces the company’s commitment to supporting operators with scalable, compliant technology as new opportunities emerge across North America and beyond.
With compliance, speed and operational efficiency at the heart of its product, St8 remains focused on helping operators enter new markets with confidence while delivering seamless access to premium casino content through a single integration.
Eva Alšauskaite, Head of Legal at St8, said: “Securing our Alberta supplier registration represents another important step in St8’s international growth strategy and reflects our continued investment in regulated markets.
“As jurisdictions continue to evolve, operators need technology partners that combine innovation with a deep understanding of regulatory requirements. Obtaining this registration demonstrates our commitment to meeting those standards while providing operators with a solution that makes expansion into regulated markets as simple and efficient as possible.”
The post St8 Secures Alberta Licence, Strengthening North American Expansion appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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